The officer let go of his arm and Colter’s whole right side seemed to collapse. He would have fallen if Kensie hadn’t darted over to support him, slipping her smaller body beneath his shoulder. Still, the force of his knee giving out almost took them both down.
Colter fought it, shifting as much weight as he could onto his left leg. His right one screamed in agony and even without having to bear weight, it shook uncontrollably.
“You okay? You need an ambulance?” the officer asked as his partner dragged Danny away.
Danny screamed obscenities and threats the entire way to being shoved into the back of the police cruiser. The officer who’d helped him up didn’t even glance his partner’s way, apparently assuming she had it under control as he continued to stare at Colter with concern.
“I’m all right,” Colter said, as Rebel let out a dissenting whine.
“You need to go to the hospital,” Kensie insisted.
“I know my injury. It just needs rest.” Colter hoped he was right. “But what about you? You hit that dumpster hard. You were unconscious. I want a doctor to look at you.”
“I’m fine.” Kensie sighed, frowning down at his leg.
“Ambulance is right around the corner,” the officer said. “We’ll have them look at both of you and the paramedics can decide.”
“But—” Kensie started.
“Let’s go,” the officer said, his tone brooking no argument.
Rebel barked her agreement.
DRIVING COLTER’S TRUCK made her nervous. It was a big, hulking beast, capable of handling the steep drive up to his cabin, but taking up more of the road than she was used to managing.
The man next to her made Kensie nervous, too. He looked like he belonged on a Marine recruitment poster, with his well-defined muscles and intense blue eyes. He’d gritted his teeth while the medic poked and examined his leg and suggested he get an X-ray to make sure all the metal holding his thigh together was still intact. Then he’d calmly shaken his head and limped to the truck.
But he’d been in no shape to drive and they both knew it. So Kensie had gotten behind the wheel, after being cleared by the medic as having no obvious signs of concussion. Still, since she’d been briefly unconscious, they’d warned her to go to the hospital herself if she experienced any dizziness, vomiting or confusion.
Right now there was definite confusion, but it had nothing to do with Danny Weston throwing her against that disgusting dumpster. She risked another glance at Colter out of the corner of her eye. He looked terrible, his face so pale that she knew he was in a lot of pain. But he hadn’t complained once. And she wasn’t sure how to help him without hurting his pride.
Rebel looked just as worried as Kensie parked Colter’s truck outside his cabin. She’d barely stepped out of the vehicle before the dog leaped over the front seat and climbed out after her. Rebel ran around to the passenger side faster than Kensie, but Colter had already gotten his door open and was trying to swivel himself out of the truck without bending his leg.
Kensie wedged herself in the door opening, sliding her arm behind his back and bracing herself for his weight. “Lean on me.”
“I’ve got it,” he said, sounding more frustrated than harsh.
“Yeah, I know, but this will be easier,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. But she couldn’t quite manage it. Residual fear still clung to her from her encounter with Danny. Fear about what could have happened to her. Fear about what had almost happened to Rebel and Colter.
His eyes narrowed on her, as if he could read her thoughts, and then he did lean on her just a little as he hauled himself out of the truck. The step down to the ground was shaky and Kensie did her best to absorb the impact, but she could still tell he was hurting.
It took them several minutes to make the short trek to the cabin door, with Rebel running circles around them most of the way.
“Rebel, chill,” Colter finally said, a smile cracking through as she plopped down on her butt.
“She loves you,” Kensie said as he fumbled with the key and got the door open.
“Yeah, well, I love her, too,” Colter replied, bracing himself on the doorjamb to take some of his weight off her. “We saw three years of combat together. We train as partners and that’s what she is. I’d take a bullet for her and she almost took one for me.”
Kensie glanced back at Rebel, who was waiting patiently for Colter to make it through the doorway before she followed. “You saved her today.”
“She saved me in Afghanistan,” he answered simply, pulling away from her a little to peel his coat off and drop it on the floor.
“You saved me today, too.” Her text had never gone through, but he’d come for her anyway, taking on Danny despite his own injuries.
Colter glanced at her briefly before continuing a slow walk toward his recliner. “We saved each other.”
His words were filled with so many emotions. Honesty and admiration, yes, but also embarrassment. Probably because he hadn’t been able to take Danny down on his own. But it wasn’t a fair fight when Colter had a damaged leg.
She knew saying that would only fuel Colter’s resentment and frustration at his situation. Instead, she stayed silent, helping him lower himself into his recliner.
Once seated, he sighed and rested his head back against the chair, closing his eyes. It gave her the chance to stare at him, at the very faint lines on his forehead, the thick blond-tinged eyebrows, down over a strong nose to strong, full lips. Lips she’d tasted more than once. Lips she wanted to taste again right now.
His eyes
